I think Maya Angelou said it best: “How important it is for us to remember our heroes and she-roes.”

Today, we here at Rue pause to thank all of our veterans, men and women both, for their untiring dedication to our country.

Especially inspiring? The Army’s newest addition: a statue of a female solider, the first of its kind to be placed on a military base, unveiled last week in Fort Lee, Virginia.

In the words of The Daily Beast:

While the statue is a tribute to all women soldiers, it was designed to commemorate those who served in our most recent wars, a significant step by the U.S. Army to recognize and honor the part women play in military operations. The figure is dressed in modern combat equipment and carries a loaded M4 rifle…. It’s refreshing to finally see a public display showing the rifle and gear worn by a woman. A powerful tribute to the burden that women have carried in combat.